Fire From Below
By Mardrena
Cracks spread around the outer edge of the skyscraper, creating a loud grinding crunch. The orange glow seeping out grew brighter as the cracks widened and chunks of ground sank into the cracks. Rowen hovered in the air, transfixed by the sight as the office tower listed to one side briefly. Suddenly, the entire building jolted before it apparently peeled loose of the rest of the ground entirely, sinking into the ground like a spear. Rowen's eyes widened in dawning realization as he saw story after story of glass windows rush past on the way down into the firey chasm. "NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" he shrieked when the full realization hit him: he had no line of sight to the basement level! He moved to dive, hoping to intercept the skyscraper, but jerked to a halt when he saw what lay beneath the surface of the broken pavement.
The smoldering expanse of roiling magma dwarfed the skyscraper as it landed basement-first after falling several hundred feet. A vivid impression overcame Rowen: of civilians trapped inside what should have been a secure vault, pounding at the walls helplessly as the air rippled with intense heat. If the lava didn't incinerate them on contact, the heat would overwhelm them just as cruelly. Rowen reached up under his helmet with both hands, his fingers digging through his hair. He threw back his head and screamed and screamed and screamed before the sickening impact of his failure overwhelmed him and he pitched forward and vomited midair.
More loud crunches jerked him out of his shock and he glanced to either side as buildings nearby began tilting. Entire slabs of street and sidewalk peeled inward, pulling surrounding blocks down into the flaming depths. "This-this wasn't supposed to happen! How is this even possible?! The simulation looked nothing like this! Oh God!" Rowen stammered. All the massive weight of the city seemed like a brittle crust spanning a deep, massive bowl, and like so many crumbs, pavement and structures fell inward. Rowen fought down another upheaval in his stomach and raised his arm to his face. "All teams, clear out of the city NOW! The entire city is collapsing; all of it! Get out NOW!" he shrieked frantically into his com.
"I didn't like the sound of that! Kayura! I think-" Shannon jumped off the skybike as Ita landed and ran towards Kayura and Michelle, who stood in the center of Argonauth's deck.
"I thought it wasn't supposed to go off for hours! What happened?!" Michelle fretted.
"That is a question to be answered later, but for now we must pool our powers to pull out as many people from the city as possible. Here, sit down in a circle. Ita, you might want to move your vehicle and get back," Kayura warned. Ita snorted and leaned down, gripping the undercarriage of the skybike and hoisting it over her shoulder before walking towards the interior. "This spell operates similar to the one Talpa used in the First Dynasty War." Michelle and Shannon's jaws both dropped upon hearing that. "Keep in mind, the people will be pulled safely aboard the Argonauth! The magic will preserve them in a sort of spell-stasis until they can be safely moved. There's no telling how many people remain in the city. This will significantly drain our energy, but it's the only option we have right now. Follow my lead," Kayura explained and laid the Staff of Ancients across her knees. Shannon pulled her pendant cord from around her neck and extended the Ronin Cross into its sword form then set the flat across her knees. Michelle cupped the Jewel of Life in her palms.
Ita returned to the deck in time to see a wall of light envelop the three Mystics and extend into the sky. She watched in awe as motes of light swarmed around them before shooting into the sky and arcing out like the ribs of an umbrella. Golden orbs streaked down into the city, seeking out people who had either lingered out of ignorance or been trapped by misfortune. The orbs struck man, woman, and child, covering them in a soft gold glow and freezing them mid-action. Thousands of civilians vanished from their places and light streaked back up towards the Argonauth. Ita craned her head back and watched as thousands of streaks arced onto the deck, some even sweeping past her or though the gun ports in the hull into the interior decks.
"Move yer lazy arses or I'll keelhaul the lot of ye!" Miz, still in character, snarled fiercely. "Waaaugh!" he yelped and windmilled his arms, falling and landing on his backside as the floor jerked suddenly. He pushed himself up and briefly lifted up his eyepatch. "Commander! Commander, we're under attack!" Miz wailed as he scrambled into the bridge.
"We're NOT under attack, you imbecile! Argonauth's just taken on significant weight. It seems the device detonated prematurely. Gauraax-Kayura has no doubt deployed her contingency plan. The effort would have taxed her and the other psychokinetics. Go outside and assist!" Naz barked. Miz nodded awkwardly and scampered down the corridor leading to the deck. He paused at the sight of the deck clogged with unconscious humans, all arrayed neatly in rows from bow to stern, port to starboard, their hands clasped over their chests.
"MIZ! All three spent! Help carry!" Ita shouted from where she knelt beside the unconscious forms of Kayura, Michelle, and Shannon. Miz glanced from the expanse of human bodies to the thick white talons of his toes. He sighed in dismay then began carefully tiptoeing over each one.
Flames belched out of a widening hole in the pavement before a tremendous plume of fire shot out and tossed an object into the air, sending it tumbling like a football. "AAAAHHHAAA!" Ryo yelled and unfurled the singed dragon wings and flapped quickly in order to escape another gout of fire that licked at his back. He gazed down into the flaming hole where far beneath the surface, lava churned and heaved, welling up from the torturous wound inflicted by the nuclear blast. "This…this is all my fault! I…I never should have tried to move that thing! I was stupid for thinking I could do it alone! If only-…no, this is all my fault…all my fault!" Ryo wailed. A horrific crunching jerked him out of his guilt trip as more chunks of pavement peeled away from the edge of the ever-widening hole. It looked as if nothing remained to support the weight of the city, save a brittle crust of dirt and asphalt.
He glanced up into the sky when he saw a shower of golden light rain from the airborne Argonauth then recede just as quickly. "There still might be people trapped in the city…Raurgoth, go where you are needed!" Ryo clenched his fist and punched towards the horizon, and the Inferno Dragon Armor peeled away in a flash of light and shot into the distance.
"Uhh…" Cye grunted as he sank to one knee. Sweat beaded on his brow.
"Mister? You alright?" a child asked.
"He doesn't look so good," another commented.
"Was that an earthquake?"
It's not the Armor that's out of power, it's me. I can't transport so many, not now at least… "I'm fine. It's just…" Cye pushed himself to stand awkwardly. A flash of light swept over the ground and Cye gazed upward, seeing the multitudes of golden trails spiriting civilians out of the path of destruction. None of the streams, however, graced his current group of refugees. They said Argonauth only had a maximum capacity of ten thousand…how many people are still left in the city? He gulped down dread and set his jaw. "Stay close everyone, we need to keep moving. This way, follow me," Cye stated and led the children up the street.
"The ground feels hot!" one of the kids complained.
It's definitely getting hot in here…what on Earth happened? Cye noticed how as the children stumbled and staggered, their shoes left sticky impressions from their rubber soles.
"Look out!" one boy screamed as a flash of white light erupted on the other side of a row of buildings. The light spiraled into the air, taking shape and spreading vast leathery wings.
Raurgoth roared grandly and arched his back, towering above the yet-intact buildings. "RAURGOTH! Raurgoth, down here!" Raurgoth tilted his head to the side and glanced down his muzzle, spotting Cye waving at him from the other side of the block. He dropped down to all fours and walked down the street and around the buildings, rounding the corner and approaching the gathered group. "No, no, it's okay! There's no reason to be afraid! He's a friend! Raurgoth, I can't teleport, not now at least. We need to get these children out of here. Can you give us a lift?" Cye asked. Raurgoth brought his neck close and lowered himself towards the ground.
The children staggered back, afraid initially. Raurgoth laid his neck against the pavement and tilted his head sideways slightly, glancing at the children invitingly. "Hey kids, how would you like to ride a real live dragon?" Cye asked and smiled, walking towards Raurgoth. One of the bolder kids followed and gazed upon the magnificent wyrm. He marveled at the silvery lower scales and the way Raurgoth's chest rose and his nostrils flared with each breath.
"Come on, up you go!" Cye helped each child into a position behind one of Raurgoth's neck spines. Once the last child had secured a seat, he leapt into the space behind Raurgoth's horns. Raurgoth rose to all fours but as he did so cracks opened up beneath his feet and hot steam erupted through. "We have to go, before the entire block falls out from under us!" Cye warned. Raurgoth nodded understandingly and strode forward. Cye could only pray they'd reach the city limits in time…and that the other Ronin Warriors could do the same.
"Status report," Mal Daggur demanded as he strode onto the bridge of the Nsenagvvik.
"It would seem a thermonuclear device has been detonated in the heart of the Ronin Warriors' protectorate," Bru Ranir notified and stepped aside as Mal Daggur strode toward his command chair. Mal Daggur paused and glanced at him sharply.
"What?!" he hissed before glancing at the main screen. Readouts in Highscript indicated magnitude of blast and projected radius. He looked furious since he had wanted to avoid despoiling Planet Earth; nuclear fallout would taint the very resources they coveted so much.
"The wide-spread destruction seems to have all of the Ronin and their allies preoccupied…It would be a shame if someone were to capitalize on such a distraction," Bru Ranir hinted. Mal Daggur's dismay turned to cunning glee.
"Indeed…far be it from me to waste such an opportunity. Raise the Vyerrdeklagn, have it begin firing procedures immediately!" Mal Daggur ordered.
"Supreme High Overlord, we have a contact approaching us from the planet's surface!" a Common informed. Mal Daggur raised an eyebrow and strode over to his command chair, seating himself. "It appears to be one of ours…D-Class fighter."
"Guin mauthuak Supreme High Overlord. I've waited a long time for this moment," a voice spoke over the channel. Mal Daggur furrowed his brows.
"Why does that voice sound so familiar…" he muttered. Bru Ranir walked over to the Common's helm console and he peered over his shoulder.
"Are you certain it's one of ours?" Bru Ranir asked, scowling in suspicion.
"We received the proper verification codes as soon as we hailed him."
"I got separated from my squadron after our initial attack and have been stranded ever since. Thangien patrol riders have made it impossible for me to escape detection until now."
"I could've sworn I'd heard that voice before…" Mal Daggur narrowed his eyes and stroked his beard with his claws. The main screen flickered and displayed the image of a Nobeyl with curious auburn-colored beard and head crests and sharp green eyes.
"Have him dock aboard Huzonthunorthplier for repairs and debriefing," Bru Ranir ordered crisply and turned around to walk back over to Mal Daggur's side.
"Commander…he…he hasn't approached The Grinding Teeth…he's holding stationary infront of Maw of Flame," the Common stammered. Bru Ranir whirled around and peered down at the screen again. A signal blinked infront of the large icon that marked Vyerrdeklagn's position in the fleet formation. Mal Daggur stiffened in his seat.
"Pilot…dock aboard The Grinding Teeth…NOW." Mal Daggur ordered. The Noble pilot cocked his head to the side and grinned widely.
"Did you really think I would let you use this blasphemous weapon of yours to harm so much as a blade of grass on this planet that I love?" the "Noble" spoke, his voice seeming to change slightly. The bridge crew of Nsenagvvik watched aghast as the facial features of the "Noble" began to warp. The muzzle shrank and the nostrils contracted. The beard receded towards the ear holes and the head crests lengthened. The horns melted into the skin as it changed from yellow-orange scales to pinkish flesh. The bridge between the eyes shrank and the razor sharp teeth flattened as the jaw contracted. Mal Daggur and Bru Ranir observed horrified at the sight of a Thunthen transforming into a Human, which if had happened vice-versa, would have startled a normal human, but for the Thunthen, it appeared especially terrifying.
"COMMANDER!" the Common at the helm console squealed. Bru Ranir stepped forward and peered down, watching in horror as the exterior of the D-Class fighter rippled and changed into a foreign-looking craft that only vaguely resembled a Thunthen craft.
"Ariuan Wrathrider!" Mal Daggur half-growled, half-bellowed and shot up from his chair. Anubis smirked at him from the cockpit of Raider.
"I'll have to admit, I had my doubts about Dais' illusions holding up for this long, but as a man of honor, I will abide by the terms of our wager."
"SCRAMBLE ALL FIGHTERS, NOW!" Bru Ranir bellowed.
"Too late…" the Common croaked.
"This will give me immense satisfaction," Anubis purred as he wiggled his fingers above buttons marked BURNOUT. He pressed each one in sequence and hatches opened up on Raider's wings and belly. Spike-shaped missiles similar to the kind used by Pegasi streaked out, aiming not for the Vyerrdeklagn's signature maw, but the hinges holding the bay hatches shut. One of the upper hatch plates broke away from its fastening and swarms of more missiles snaked their way through the opening. Armored plates bulged outward and the glow of explosions spilled through splits in the hull.
"NononoNONONONOOOOO!" Mal Daggur roared, taking a step forward but halting when he saw the wreckage floating through space.
"If you wish to have a rematch on equal footing, I would be more than happy to entertain you, but fight us as the warriors you claim to be, and do not dishonor yourself by threatening this world with such shameful toys. This planet is under the protection of the Ronin Warriors. Do not insult us with your cowardice again," Anubis declared before turning Raider around and streaking down towards the planet surface. Mal Daggur curled his fingers and peeled his scarred lips over his false teeth. He curled his tail up slightly before bringing it down powerfully enough to embed the spiked club into the deck plates.
"CURSE YOUR ENTIRE EVOLUTIONARY CHAAAAAIIIIN!" he shrieked.
"Bllllmm" Anubis made a curious motion, bringing up one index finger and pulling down his lower right eyelid and sticking out his tongue gleefully as D-Class fighters fruitlessly gave chase.
"Can anyone hear me? This is Ryo calling all -dammit!" Ryo snarled as only rolling static greeted his attempts to reach his friends. "Tanya, Rowen, Cye, Kento, Sage!? Respond!"
"…I'm here, Ryo," Sage's voice spoke over the audio channel. ArmSig showed a blinking green icon not far from where Ryo flew. He flapped the silvery dragon wings on his arms and veered to the side, following the signal. He eventually spotted Sage standing alone overlooking the flaming pit consuming the city. Ryo came in for a landing and alighted behind Sage.
"Sage, we need to get out of here! The entire city is collapsing, and we need to meet up with the others to try and stop it from spreading. Come on!" Ryo waved and turned to leave. He paused and looked over his shoulder when he realized Sage hadn't moved. "…Sage?"
"Everything's happening exactly as I saw it…The Black Unicorn, the city falling…it makes sense now…It begins and ends in fire." Sage muttered to himself. Ryo raised an eyebrow.
"Sage…what are you talking about…?" Ryo asked. Sage turned to face him, the flaming orange light of the pit falling against his back and hair. Far from looking panicked or upset, Sage looked surprisingly calm and even smiled at Ryo cheerfully.
"It's time for me to leave now. Goodbye, Ryo," Sage said abruptly. Ryo's eyes widened in shock then horror as he realized instead of walking away from the edge of the pit, Sage began walking backwards towards it.
"SAGE! NOO!" Ryo shrieked and lunged, trying to grab Sage by the wrist. All of a sudden, the pavement beneath them split and the slab Sage stood on tilted before falling in, taking Sage out of view as the entire outer rim of the pit began to collapse.
"We're almost there!" Kento cried in joy as he and Tanya sped up the street towards the city limits. Both of them looked over their shoulders when they heard the piercing grinding of metal and concrete. Kento's eyes widened when it seemed as if the collapsing edge of the pit chased them. Tanya turned to the side, slowing her pace as she ran backwards from the sight of buildings toppling into the depths like toy bricks. Kento noticed how she seemed paralyzed with shock. "Tanya, what are you doing! Keep running! Don't look back! DON'T LOOK BACK!"
"No…NO! RAURGOTH! RUN!" Cye yelled as the dragon half-ran, half-flew to escape the oncoming edge of the collapsing ground. The children screamed in terror and tightened their grip on Raurgoth's neck spines. Raurgoth spread his wings, raising them above the city skyline. The shoulder limbs crashed against some taller buildings, and Raurgoth hissed in protest, but kept running until he reached a more open area. He spread his wings full stretch and crouched before launching his entire body off the ground. Seconds after, the ground below sank and groaned as pipes, drainage tunnels, electrical wires, and rebar snapped under the strain. Cye cried out when he saw the ghastly bright orange glow of lava heaving far below.
Raurgoth screamed in defiance and swept his wings in a powerful downstroke, desperately trying to achieve the lift he needed to avoid falling and colliding with the wall of the pit. The silvery membranes caught the updrafts and hot air heaved Raurgoth's body up far enough for him to soar over the lava and onto the ground. He grabbed the pavement with his talons, half-gliding, half-galloping for several blocks. More and more of the ground began collapsing behind him. Entire buildings toppled in, landing on their sides into the vast pool of lava before sinking and sagging into the heat. Raurgoth's own immense weight had the unfortunate effect of hastening the process as more of the ground gave way with each footfall. He ran as fast as his weight would allow then bunched his hind legs and tensed, pushing himself forward with a powerful kick in a final effort to evade the leading edge.
Tanya ran backwards a few steps before screaming as the ground beneath her tilted down at a steep angle. She screamed again as she began sliding down towards the edge looming over the lava pit. "TANYA! NO!" Kento cried out and reached towards her. The slab jolted again and she lost her grip, sliding further away. Kento scrambled towards the edge and breathed a brief sigh of relief when he saw the Lady Ronin clinging to the slab of pavement. He could see cables, rebar, and steel walls through the crack in the ground; parts of Toyama's subway system. "Tanya! Oh, thank God you're still alright!" Tanya used the clawncher blades of her Jaguar sub-armor to cling to the slab. "Don't look down! Whatever you do, don't look down!"
Kento saying that, of course, didn't stop Tanya from looking over her shoulder upon hearing the piercing shriek of metal. Beneath the surface of the tilting slab, soil broke away and with it parts of the subway tunnel along with a train still housed inside. Metal clacked and rattled as several train cars spilled out of the tunnel, twisting and flailing like an airborne snake as they fell into the burning pit. Tanya and Kento both watched, horrified at the sight, but Kento gasped in realization when he realized how much the weight of the train had damaged the already frayed structures keeping the slab connected to the rest of the ground. Metal squealed and popped as more rebar and pipes cracked and the slab jolted slightly.
"Tanya! Jump! You have to jump! I'll catch you!" Kento cried and held his hand out desperately. The Lady Ronin scrabbled at the pavement desperately as the chunk of pavement she clung to began shaking loose. Tanya glanced up at Kento briefly, and in that moment he could see real, legitimate fear in her eyes. She dug the tips of her clawncher blades into the pavement, scooting further and further up in a race against time. Kento knelt down and grabbed ahold of some of the pipes and rebar. Even in Ram sub-armor, he couldn't possibly hope to hold up that slab on his own if it broke away entirely. Best he could do was delay the inevitable.
Tanya blinked and looked up at Kento when she heard him growl. She could see him straining, both from trying to keep the slab stable and something else. Her eyes widened in realization. "Kento, no! Don't!" Tanya cried when she saw Kento's eyes flicker white.
"WHY NOT?!" Kento growled deeply. "It's too h-heavy! I c-can't hold it up for long! …Not yet at least…" Kento squeezed his eyes shut. As long as he concentrated and blocked out the pain, he could buy her precious time. He opened his eyes briefly and blinked when he saw Tanya glaring at him. She looked angry, annoyed almost. Kento stared back at her, puzzled. Tanya pulled back her arm and screamed in defiance before plunged her clawncher blades into a manhole cover. She screamed again as she yanked her arm back, pulling the cover out of its resting place before sweeping her arm behind her. The metal plate slid off of the claw blades, flipping like a coin into the immense burning depths. Tanya pulled herself forward, nestling herself into the mouth of the exposed tunnel with her feet braced firmly against the lower edge. She tensed her body and flexed her fingers. More bits of ground gave way and the tunnel completely severed. Kento blinked, startled, and his eyes reverted to normal as he realized what Tanya had planned. He let go of the rebar pipes the second Tanya sprang as hard as she could.
The force of her launch caused the remaining pipes and rebar to break in half entirely. At that exact moment, Kento held his arms open to catch her as she lunged towards him. Her speed sent her flying towards the surface like a missile with such force, as Kento caught her in his arms, he fell backwards landing on the ground. He held onto her tight a few moments, panting with relief and listening to Tanya's rapid gasps. The broken slab flipped in the air several times as it fell towards the roiling lava, dwarfed by the sheer size of the pit.
Tanya pushed away from Kento and scrambled to her feet. Kento pushed himself to stand, ignoring the icy pain in his right cheek, and the two stood there overlooking the smoldering expanse. "Oh my God…the city…how could this have happened?" Kento frowned and raised an arm, intending to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Everything's-AAH!" Tanya yelped and sprang back when more chunks of the edge peeled away. She and Kento had to keep moving backwards as the ground continued to give way ever so slightly.
Raurgoth soared over the ground, his belly scraping the pavement occasionally as he slid past the brittle crust and onto solid ground out of range of the unstable edge. He pushed himself off the ground and angled one wing, allowing the children to slide down from his neck. Cye leapt down and landed on the pavement. He looked towards the edge of the pit, sweat streaming down his brow, his heart spinning in his chest from the harrowing ride. "Too close…that was…too close…" he panted. He turned to face the children as they gazed at their surroundings. "Everyone allright? Anyone hurt?" Some of the children had angry red weals on their bodies from where scorching blasts of air had touched their legs and arms. Other than minor burns, however, the children looked relatively safe. Cye frowned, sensing something amiss.
He gazed upon the cluster of children and began counting. "One…one, two…five…six…" Cye blinked in dawning realization. He counted only twelve. He could've sworn there were fourteen. "One, two, three….four, five, six…" His eyes widened in panic. He thought he remembered a short boy with glasses and a thin girl with a knit cap. He didn't see them in the group. Perhaps they ran away after landing? How could they when the other children barely had the strength to stand after their ordeal. He leaned to the side, wondering if perhaps they hid out of sight behind Raurgoth's immense limbs. The ground shuddered as Raurgoth turned around in place and rose to his hind legs. Still no sight of the two kids. Cye followed Raurgoth's gaze to the massive pit that once held the city of Toyama. Ghastly colors of red, yellow, and orange streaked the walls, thick and heavy like oil. Heat spewed up in waves as it seemed Earth itself screamed from the wound. Cye took a step towards the edge then collapsed in a heap, leaning back on his heels. His shoulders sagged listlessly and he leaned forward, unable to keep straight. His knuckles rest against the ground and he stared blankly at the horizon. The children…
A little girl holding a plush unicorn saw Cye collapse and walked over to him cautiously. She stood beside him and saw tears streaming from his eyes. "Sir? You…you did the best you could," she stated, not knowing his grief had nothing to do with the buildings or streets.
"I should've done more…BLOODY HELL! I SHOULD'VE DONE MORE!" Cye grabbed the rim of his helmet and yanked it off, flinging it against the ground so furiously it bounced into the air a few times before clattering onto the pavement. He remained kneeling on the ground, weeping over his failure. The girl reached out and placed a hand on his shoulder plate.
They looked back sharply when they heard Raurgoth bellow. The Inferno Dragon reared back, spreading his wings at full stretch before his form dissolved into white light and streaked off over the pit. "Mister, mister, what happened? Where'd the dragon go?" a boy asked.
"Someone else needs him now…come on, let's go. We need to get to safer ground." Cye staggered to his feet. He took the hand of the little girl next to him and led the group of children away from the edge of the pit, leaving behind the ruins of the city and the two lost in its fall.
"SAGE!" Ryo screamed his throat nearly raw as he dove into the pit after him. Sage didn't seem at all frightened about falling into a massive pit of molten lava. He did not flail his arms desperately nor even attempt to summon armor and teleport. He wore a look of resignation on his face, same as when Talpa claimed him in the First Dynasty War. "Don't you DARE die on me Sage! I won't let you do this to yourself! Think of your family, of your friends, of Shannon! SAGE! I'M COMING!" Ryo howled just as the energies of the White Dragon AnimArmor wrapped around him. He tucked the dragon wings in for a dive and sped towards Sage. He reached out and barely managed to wrap his hand around Sage's wrist, his palm pressing against Sage's wrist-com band. Sage opened his eyes and stared up at Ryo, who flapped the dragon wings in a desperate effort to gain altitude.
"Ryo…why are you doing this? Please, just let me go. I have to do this," Sage stated calmly above the roar of hot air and cracking earth.
"I WON'T LET YOU DIE! Do you hear me! You have too much to live for for you to die like this! Grab my hand! Hurry!" Ryo reached out with his free hand, but Sage dangled limply, not at all interested in self-preservation. Roughly ten feet away from them, the wall of the pit rushed past. Ryo attempted to bring the dragon tail around and grab Sage by the waist.
Just then, the wall burst outward in a gout of fire that sent Ryo spinning. Flames licked at his visor and he squeezed his eyes shut from the natural gas explosion. The dragon wings snapped open from the surge of hot air and threw him further up along the wall. He felt his arm shudder and by the time he regained his bearings, he looked down to see only Sage's wrist-com and AnimArmor ring in his grip. Ryo whirled around, gazing about frantically if he could spot Sage's distinctive golden blonde hair. A few buildings protruded above the lava, but Ryo did not see Sage on any one of them, nor clinging to the wall. As far as the eye could see, all Ryo saw was boiling, roiling lava, steam, and stone. Ryo hovered, kept aloft by gusts of superheated air.
"SAGE! WHERE ARE YOU!? SAAAGE! SAAAAAGE!" Ryo flew in circles over the lava, searching desperately for his friend. "SAAAAGE! SAAAAAAGE!" Ryo wailed and shrieked to no avail. Only the smoldering pit bore witness to his grief.
Mia's fingers flew over the keys deftly as she opened connections with members of the Ronin Warriors. Ryo and Sage's signals showed up as unresponsive and Anubis remained out of range in the upper atmosphere. Bars appeared on the screen and widened, forming into signal bars for Rowen, Tanya, Kento, Cye, Cale, Sehkmet, and Dais.
"Rowen, I'm getting seismic readings off the charts here. Whatever that bomb did, it's not stopping. It's like the blast tore a hole straight through the crust and into the mantle itself. If you don't find a way to cork this now, it's going to keep pulling everything around it down with it!"
Rowen:: "Kento, think you seal this up?"
Kento:: "No way, this is way beyond anything I've dealt with before. It'd take dropping an entire mountain to plug this thing. You can't feel it, but I can! The Earth is in pain, man…"
Cye:: "Are all the other evacuation teams safe? I barely made it out with some survivors without getting burned to a crisp…mostly anyway…"
Sehkmet:: "Bak and Azuro have already withdrawn their folks from the city proper, they didn't want to take a chance running into the military this close to city limits."
Dais:: "We've got another problem too, if what Mia says is true. At the rate this thing is widening, it might end up surpassing the original planned evacuation zone. We'd have to start moving people again, and the folks in this area are already exhausted beyond measure!"
Tanya:: "Hey, aren't we forgetting something? Has anyone heard from my brother lately? I can't raise him on the com at all, and I haven't seen him either."
"I'm not getting any signal from him or Sage, and they're not responding to the open channel even with manual override. Anubis isn't back from his mission yet either. You all are on your own on this," Mia stated, glancing worriedly at the inactive signal bars for Ryo and Sage.
Cye:: "Raurgoth helped me earlier, but got recalled, so that means Ryo's alright at least."
Cale:: "What if we try the Rime Claw attack, like we did on Bainshaebo? We were able to cover the entire city there, and Bainshaebo is way larger than Toyama."
Rowen:: "With the heat being produced from that pit, it'd have to be on an order of magnitude far greater than anything we've done before."
"You'd be doing it without a power boost, too. I've been informed that all three Mystics are out of commission, it took everything they had just to pull out the people they could."
Cye:: "All we can do is try. I'll port to the dock to recharge my armor power. If we have Cale on one side of the city, Tanya on another point, we might be able to suffocate this thing."
Rowen:: "Without a supercharge from Shannon's Ronin Cross, you're going to need extra support, especially with something this size. I can use my own power to cycle air in and speed up the cooling down process. Kento, I know you said you can't seal the entire pit, but maybe you can find weak spots and shore them up to keep them from collapsing. There's more earth than concrete below the surface, at this point. Tanya, find the highest building still intact that will give you a good enough view of the entire pit. This will take more out of us than we've ever given in the past. Good luck, everyone."
"Gotcha, Ro. Tanya out," Tanya nodded and closed the connection. "Just goes to show you how well Talpa screwed us over," she muttered absently.
"Look at the size of it! It swallowed up all of downtown and midtown, and it's still going! I just hope your armors can hold out long enough," Kento commented and gazed out at the pit. Tanya nodded solemnly in agreement and bit her lip. She glanced at Kento then at the pit.
She did a double take when she saw something out the corner of her eye. She narrowed her eyes, studying his profile closely. Then she saw it; a tiny round red sphere that fell from his right cheek towards his upper chest. She wondered if she imagined it until she saw a second droplet.
Kento blinked, startled when Tanya all of a sudden grabbed his chin with her left hand and turned his face towards her. Tanya gasped and recoiled, using her free arm to shield her eyes. "AAUGH! Oh GOD! Kento! You didn't feel that?!" Tanya hissed.
"Feel what?" Kento asked stupidly.
"Your cheek is talking to me!" Tanya pulled her hand away and averting her gaze. Kento reached up with one hand and touched his cheek with his fingertips. He pulled his hand away and saw his fingers smeared with blood. Several spatters of blood adorned his chest plate.
"Oh…how'd that get there?" Kento remarked idly.
"I must've cut you by accident when you caught me," Tanya grumbled and glanced at her left clawncher blades. Sure enough, blood stained one of the blade tips. "Jeez…" Tanya hissed and reached for her right clawncher where she kept a bundle of Richtho leaves under the barrels.
"It's not that big of a deal, really. I mean, you really should get going and help the others…" Kento shrugged as Tanya peeled the leaf out of its wrapping. Tanya ignored him and dismissed the Jaguar sub-armor, changing into Ronin sub-armor. She kept the leaf in one hand and reached up with her left, using the wrapping to daub up most of the blood. Kento blinked, surprised by her concern. He noticed the look of discomfort on her face and vaguely remembered hearing about her being blood shy. He moved his hand slightly, instinctively wanting to place a hand on her shoulder then stopped himself, remembering too well what happened the last time he tried to do that. Tanya gulped down her revulsion as she wiped the cut clean.
"Don't ever do that again," she said abruptly. Kento didn't know what to make of that at first, wondering if she meant his catching her in his arms. "You don't need to turn yourself into a monster just to protect my skinny ass. I'm more than capable of saving myself," Tanya stated, scowling slightly. Kento averted his gaze. He didn't think of it that way. He honestly feared for her life, seeing her clinging to the fragile chunk of pavement. He glanced up again, noticing the way Tanya kept blinking, as if trying to keep her gaze unfocused on the bloodied cut. He could hear her heart beating rapidly. He glanced up thoughtfully, wondering how to ease the tension.
"I guess my big fat cheeks cushioned the blow," he joked and managed a half-smirk. Tanya made a curious snort that sounded like a laugh that got punched in the nuts. Before he could say anything else, however, Tanya discarded the damp cloth and practically slapped the Richtho leaf against his cheek. The blow made the injury smart briefly before going numb.
"You keep that thing on there until that cut is gone, okay? Here's a spare in case you need to replace it," Tanya said curtly and tossed another rolled-up leaf to Kento, who juggled it awkwardly with one hand before catching it. He stared at the Lady Ronin, stunned. "I'm heading off to take up my station." And with that, Tanya ran past Kento towards the remains of a boutique. He turned around and watched her scale the wall with ease and bound along the rooftops with the swiftness and silence of a cat until she moved out of sight.
Kento stood there for some time, holding the second leaf roll in one hand and his other palm braced against the still-moist leaf on his cheek.
A squadron of D-class fighters pursued Raider into Earth's atmosphere, the friction burn illuminating their hulls before they entered the upper atmosphere. Raider's cockpit canopy slid open abruptly. "What is that fool doing!? He'll depressurize himself!" a Noble pilot snarled. A heavily-armored form emerged from the cockpit, fabric surcoat rippling in the rushing air and sunlight gleaming off the helmet crest and red face mask. "…oh…" the squadron leader muttered as he remembered who he faced. Anubis sprang away from Raider and hurled his chain at the nearest Thunthen fighter craft. The claw embedded itself in one wing, and a powerful tug twisted the axle shaft, sending the cockpit careening towards the ocean below.
Anubis used his scythe to swat away phergon blasts as the fighters closed in. A Noble pilot squealed like a Common as the weighted claw pierced the canopy of his craft and embedded itself in the seat behind him. He watched as Anubis pulled on the chain, using the leverage to propel himself towards the rest of the squadron. As he passed by the craft, Anubis whirled in midair, slicing the nose and the rear of the cockpit apart, letting the pilot-still in his seat- fall towards the ocean. Anubis swung the claw a few times before flinging it at another fighter craft.
He wrapped part of the chain around his wrist before hurling the scythe at another nearby craft, catching it in the belly. The hapless pilot cringed when the blade poked up through the floor beneath his feet. Anubis pulled the two sides of the chain together and dove down, causing the two D-class fighters to collide and forcing the pilots to eject. "I certainly hope Nobeyls can swim," Anubis taunted above the roar of rushing air as he fell. He gathered his weapon once more and hurled the chain towards Raider. The claw caught onto a metal bar inside the cockpit and Anubis pulled himself back into his seat. The canopy slid shut and Anubis waited until the console flashed green before dismissing his Armor and changing back into his flight suit.
The remaining few fighters had retreated to outer space, knowing better than to contend with a Ronin Warrior. Anubis turned his attention back to the HUD as Raider plunged through thick cloud cover en route to Japan. "Oh no! No!" Anubis gasped in horror when he emerged from the upper atmosphere and saw the distant smoldering crater that should have been Toyama.
Cye materialized on a pier at the docks. As much as I'd like to try using the Panthalassa Wave, I think that might be a little too strong, even now. This will have to do. He turned to face the distant city then backed away until his heels came to the edge of the pier. He extended one arm behind him, palm open, fingers splayed, then pointed his trident at the city. "Rowen, I'm in position. Just give the word!" he relayed.
"This is Cale. I'm in position!" Cale stated from his perch.
"This is Tanya. I'm in position, but I don't think I can cover the entire city from this angle. Last time we did something like this we were aiming at the sky, not the city. Not only that, Thananagreia has a much higher elevation. I'd need a wider view."
"Don't worry, Tanya. I can help with that," Rowen replied over the com. Tanya yelped in alarm when Rowen landed beside her suddenly and grabbed her under her shoulders. He ignored the string of expletives she belted out as teleport rings formed around them both and they vanished, reappearing high above the pit. Tanya's eyes widened in shock.
"Rowen! The *censored* do you think you're doing-?!"
"I won't be able to hold onto you and focus my own power, so you'll have to keep yourself aloft using your Typhoon Blast. Give it all you got, and we'll do the rest," Rowen assured. Tanya gulped nervously but nodded understandingly. "Alright then. Everyone get ready to go in three…two…one…NOW!" Rowen released his grip on Tanya.
"TYPHOON BLAST!" Tanya joined her swords and spun them as she fell before aiming the sword wheel at the burning crater below. The powerful winds spiraled outward and halted her fall. Rowen held out his hands, using his elemental domain to keep the wind from spreading horizontally and focusing it into a swirling dome that encompassed the smoldering pit.
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Cye beckoned and the bay answered, sending up pillars of water that arced high into the sky towards the simmering expanse of lava.
"BLACK LIGHTNING SLASH!" Cale howled, pointing his claw gauntlet at the center of the pit. Clouds gathered and darkened, sapping the warmth out of the air.
"ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" Rowen shouted, bolstering his efforts.
"WITHERING RIME FIST!" They shouted in unison as gusts of wind seemed to spread like claws before closing and driving down into the pit of lava.
Kento skidded to a halt alongside a ruined street and looked up into the sky when he noticed the wind pick up. "There goes Tanya…" he muttered. He then saw the streams of water. "And Cye…" The orange-tainted sky turned black abruptly. "Now Cale." The frigid maelstrom condensed into a dome as air formed a wall keeping the lashing winds confined to the pit. "Go for it Rowen…don't give up. All of you. Stay strong…" Kento gazed up into the sky at a lone pink dot hovering high above the burning pit. "You can do this…" he whispered encouragement.
A thin crust of black began to form on the surface of the lava, and steam billowed up as moisture made contact with the seething liquid. Ice attempted to creep over and seal the crust, but parts of the crust ruptured, sending up spurts of burning liquid that froze just as quickly, briefly forming beautiful-yet delicate- formations. Ice and earth groaned and cracked, wind screamed and howled, water roared, and air whispered as Rowen kept cycling the attacks.
All four of them began showing signs of fatigue. Even with the support of the bay, sweat rolled down Cye's brow. Cale kept channeling his power. It took all of Rowen's concentration to keep the cycle going. He spared a glance at Tanya and saw her starting to falter. On the surface of the hardening lava below, each time it seemed the surface solidified, more cracks opened up and splashed lava everywhere. Each time a fresh rupture opened, the rushing wind smothered it.
"It keeps breaking apart! I don't know how much longer we can sustain this!" Cale shouted.
"We've almost got it! Don't drop out on me. Hold on, everyone!" Rowen encouraged.
Fissures opened up regularly, spewing superheated steam before subsiding. A bright lattice of glowing orange lines formed briefly over the bottom of the pit then dimmed. Steam thicker than cumulus billowed up from the cooling cracks before being swept up into the storm. Cale blinked and frowned when he noticed the streams of water coming in from the bay shrink into nonexistence. "Cye's out! He's exhausted himself!"
"We'll just have to continue without him."
"No we can't! Rowen, look!" Sure enough, the Typhoon Winds subsided.
Tanya had never used her Typhoon Blast for such a sustained period of time before. Her swords disengaged and she dropped towards the pit as gravity claimed her. Rowen broke his concentration and dove down to catch her in his arms.
"Don't worry, I got you!" Rowen assured. Tanya barely managed a weak slap to his cheek before going limp. "…she's fine…"
Cale ceased channeling and the dome dispersed, sending steam flooding everywhere. Kento yelped in surprise and threw up his arm to shield himself as fog engulfed him. At the bottom of the pit, the last few stubborn hot spots darkened completely as the crust solidified, leaving a mixture of cooled rope lava and jagged obsidian spikes. Rowen alighted on a building bordering the pit and set Tanya down gently. Cale arrived and knelt beside her. "Poor girl completely spent herself. I don't think even old Mardrena could have lasted that long. Think it worked?"
"It's not pretty…but it will do…for now at least," Rowen muttered. "Kento, go check up on Cye, see if he needs help getting back to the Roost. Come back for Tanya and Cale after that," Rowen ordered and turned around.
"Whoa, where are you going?" Cale argued.
"I'm gonna find Ryo and Sage. They're still out there and they haven't responded to any call for help. I need to find out why." With that, Rowen rose into the air and shot off into the distance. Cale looked back down at Tanya and reached up with both hands, removing his cape from its fastenings. He bundled it up and carefully slipped it under the back of her head to cushion her. He stood up and looked out over the steaming pit.
"Talpa could have easily 'saved' civilians by capturing them. He could have spared them such cruel deaths…but he didn't care about lives. He never does. All he cared about was establishing his 'kingdom'," Cale snarled. "I hope all this ruin was worth it for you, Talpa…"
Thick fog settled over the bottom of the pit, shrouding the caves that had formed at the bottom-most edge. Crimson light emanated from deep inside these caves. Sounds like the clack of hooves or the patters of paws echoed from the mouths of the caves. Shadowy forms cautiously peered out onto the still-cooling surface. Sounds of sniffling and snuffling drifted through the air, punctuated by a few yelps as soft flesh made contact with still-hot surfaces.
"I smell fire, and flesh-human flesh. A great catastrophe happened here. We must investigate this strange new land. Rvembeth, Cerastus, rally our forces through the portals. Kysir, scout the area, but remain out of sight. It seems our war is far from over…" a deep voice rumbled.
I don't get it…ArmSig is showing him this way, but he's not responding to any calls. Did his com get damaged in the blast? Rowen wondered as he flew through columns of steam radiating out over the ruins of the suburbs. His expression brightened when he spotted the distinct silhouette of the Inferno Dragon Armor drifting through the air. "Ryo! There you are! We've been worried sick all this time! Where've you been? We could've used your help sealing up the pit," Rowen chided as he came up alongside Ryo. He frowned when Ryo didn't seem to even register his presence and continued flying ahead in a straight line. Rowen glanced up at the dragon wings, noticing how they stayed at full stretch while Ryo himself seemed to hang limply, apparently operating on autopilot. "Ryo…Ryo, what's wrong? Ryo?" Rowen noticed what looked like tear trails streaking Ryo's cheeks under the rim of the dragon helmet. Rowen lowered himself in the air so he could see Ryo's face. "Ryo! What happened?!"
"I-I tried to c-catch him! I-I t-tried! But, he kept f-falling, and the fire-he-oh God! Oh God! I c-couldn't save him! H-he f-fell…a-and I couldn't c-catch him! I'm s-so sorry! I'm sorry!" Ryo sobbed. Rowen turned around in the air so he flew under Ryo facing upwards at him. His eyes widened when he saw Ryo's eyelids red with grief. Tears slid down his skin before dripping off his face and splattering onto Rowen's shoulder plate. Ryo's left hand looked open and limp, but his right hand remained closed around something. Rowen thought he could see a glint of golden filigree and a wrist-com band through the clenched fingers.
Rowen looked over his shoulder and paused mid-air when he heard the high-pitched whine of an approaching engine. He turned around as Raider came up alongside him. The thrusters lowered and fired, keeping the craft hovering steady. The canopy opened and the pilot emerged and removed his helmet. "Rowen! Ryo!" Anubis began as he walked out onto Raider's right wing. He looked to the side at the blackened pit. "By the Gods…" he muttered, surveying the destruction. Anubis glanced at Ryo, who apparently ignored them and continued flying in a straight line, presumably on the way home. "Rowen…what is Ryo doing?"
Anubis could hear Ryo's profuse sobbing. Rowen had no answer. He could count the number of dead-he'd felt each and every one-but Ryo's profound grief spoke of a far greater loss than civilian life. "…Rowen…what happened?" Anubis croaked and turned to face him, brow furrowing in dawning realization. Rowen could not answer and stared ahead numbly.
Shannon, Kayura, and Michelle sat on individual beds in the infirmary in the Roost. Miz himself slept on his belly on another bed, a tiny clear bubble of mucus expanding and contracting on one nostril as he snoozed. The Mystics sipped out of cups provided to them by Tar, who observed machines monitoring their conditions. "Hey Tar, what's in this stuff? It's delicious," Shannon paused in sipping the concoction he'd given them after they'd regained consciousness.
"Brain food," Tar replied. The three Mystics paused abruptly, eyes widened in alarm. Tar noticed their expressions and grimaced awkwardly. "It's a blend of chorinae juice and herbal supplements recommended by Kaosu. It's designed to replenish the body's mental and physical reserves and stimulate neural recovery from the stress endured by a psychokinetic. Think of it as vouwynn without the fermentation," Tar elaborated.
"Well it tastes awesome!" Michelle remarked out one side of her mouth as she sipped.
"Argonauth landed safely in Danae's Crater and Naz and Ita are assessing the condition of the evacuees, but so far they all seem to be in a state of perfect stasis not subject to any form of atrophy…a remarkable feat." Kayura closed her eyes, subtly preening over Tar's remarks.
"Hey, I think the others are back!" Shannon perked up and set her cup on a nearby table before springing off of her bed. Miz jolted awake suddenly, the mucus bubble bursting all over his muzzle. He blinked and looked to the side to see Michelle and Kayura exit the infirmary.
"Dais, Sehkmet, did all the civilians get out of range in time?" Mia asked as she ran out into the main cavern. The two Elders nodded in reply. Mia patted them on the shoulders in gratitude and walked past them when she saw Kento supporting Cye by the shoulder and Cale carrying a still-unconscious Tanya. "Tar can look at them in the infirmary. Where's Rowen?"
"He should be right behind us. He said he was gonna go look for Ryo," Kento answered as he walked past her, keeping one arm around Cye's shoulders.
"Has anyone seen Sage?" Shannon asked as she entered the main cavern. "Dais, Sehk, you seen Sage? Cale?" she asked as each one passed her by. They all said no.
"Hey! Rowen, Dad!" Michelle beamed when she saw three figures entering from the tunnel. She frowned when she saw Ryo, still wearing full Dragon Armor, walking behind them slowly.
"Ryo? Do you know where Sage is? I haven't been able to reach him. He's not even answering when I use the Cross…Ryo?" Shannon approached him. Ryo came to a stop on the central floor plate and kept his gaze to the floor. The dragon tail draped over the floor limply. "Hey…listen, I know we couldn't save the city, but we at least saved the people. They can rebuild at least…Ryo? What's going on? Where's Sage?" Shannon asked, confused.
Ryo didn't answer , but she could see grief etched on his face. Shannon looked at the entrance tunnel, but the doors had slid shut behind them as they entered. Sadness weighed on Rowen and Anubis as they stood to the side. Shannon glanced over her shoulder sharply when she heard a gasp and saw Michelle clamp both hands over her mouth. Kayura's eyes had widened in alarm.
"Wait…what's going on? Sage is coming, right? He just got sidetracked during the evacuation. He should be here any moment…" Shannon stepped to the side and glanced at the dererium doors again. "Right?" she asked, anxiety growing in her gut as she tried to suppress worry. "He should be just behind you guys…guys? Rowen, Anubis?" Shannon took a step to each of them, and each of them averted their gazes, unable to meet hers. She walked past Ryo, briefly touching a hand to his shoulder as she walked towards the still doors.
"Oh my God…" Kento whispered, uncertainty melting into shock. Cye remained conscious enough to know what he meant and recognize the sick realization in his stomach. Tanya came to and elbowed Cale, demanding he set her down. He did so jerkily as that same realization hit. Tanya glanced from him to Shannon in confusion. Sehkmet's mouth hung open and Dais' single eye widened in horror. Mia lingered by the entrance to the comm. room and clamped one hand over her mouth. Kayura remained close to the infirmary entrance. Miz approached the doorway and placed one hand on the rock. His eyebrows furrowed as he tried to make sense of things.
"This isn't funny guys…Sage is still out there, he has to be? He's going to come through the doors any minute now. Won't he? Won't he? Ryo, Ryo, where's Sage! Where is he?" Shannon demanded and whirled to face him, an empty feeling beginning to form in her gut. She could see dried tear trails on Ryo's cheeks as he turned to face her. His right hand remained closed, gripping something. "Ryo…where's Sage…" Shannon demanded, her voice cracking.
Ryo slowly raised his right hand and turned it upward, opening his fingers to display the objects in his palm: a wrist-com with a green band inscribed with the Halo insignia and the Iguana AnimArmor ring. Shannon's eyes widened slowly and she looked incredulously from the two items to Ryo's face. "…he…he didn't make it…I'm so sorry Shannon…he didn't…make it…" Ryo whispered. Mia turned away and stifled a gasp. Kento, Cye, Sehkmet, Dais, Cale, and Tanya glanced from Ryo to Rowen and Anubis, and their numb silence confirmed their worst fears. Miz pulled off the eyepatch of his costume and let it fall to the floor. Kayura's knuckles went white from gripping the Staff of Ancients tightly. Tar stood grim and silent behind them.
Shannon would not remember falling onto the floor, landing in a heap as her knees seemed to go one way while her torso leaned the other and her palms braced against the floor plate. She would not remember how her body seemed to process what had happened before her mind caught up, and how her breath had come out in a pained, barely audible whine before she threw her head back and screamed shrilly. Her chest heaved with each heavy sob, each ragged breath. Tears streamed from the corners of her eyes as she squeezed them shut.
Shannon would not remember the next day how she had ended up on the floor. Only that she screamed, and screamed, and didn't stop screaming nor did any of the surviving Ronin Warriors try to stop her. They all shared her grief once the realization of the loss of Sage Date had fully set in. Shannon would not remember the next day how long she sat there screaming until she could scream no more and her tears ran dry, only that the man she loved was dead.